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rightness, he did it not with a perfect heart, 2 Chron. xxv. 2.

Thirdly, The best actions, without uprightness, do not only lose their goodness; but in God's account are esteemed abominable evils. Such were the prayers and sacrifices of the hypocritical Jews, Isa. i. 13, 14, lxvi. 3. For God judges such actions, and such services, to be mere flattery, lying, and mocking him to his face, Psa. lxxviii. 34, 36, 37.

Now, because there is none so ready to presume that he is upright, as the hypocrite, saying, with Ephraim, In all my labours they shall find no iniquity in me, that were sin, Hosea xii. 8; and because there are none so ready to doubt whether they be upright, as are the tender-hearted and sincere: so it was with David, when he prayed to have a right spirit renewed in him, Psa. li. 10; it will be needful and useful that I show you what uprightness is, and by what infallible signs you may know whether you be upright or no.

SECT. 2. THE DESCRIPTION OF UPRIGHTNESS.

Christian uprightness, for of that I speak, is a saving grace of the Holy Ghost, wrought in the heart of a man rightly informed in the knowledge of God in Christ, whereby his soul stands so entirely and sincerely right towards God, that in the true disposition, bent, and firm determination of his will, he would, in every faculty and power of soul and body, approve himself to be such an one as God would have him to be, and would do whatsoever God would have him to do, and all as God would have him, and that, for and unto God, and his glory.

The author of this uprightness is God's sanctifying Spirit.

The common nature of it, wherein it agrees with other graces, is, it is a saving grace; it is peculiar to them that shall be saved, for only they are endued with it; but it is common to all, and every one, who is effectually called.